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Text description provided by the architects. Perched next to the edge of a canyon and overlooking San Diego’s skyline, the revamped Francis Parker School by Lake|Flato Architects brings a strong mixture of sustainable design with Southern California vernacular.

In 2002, the parent and faculty leaders at FPS made the decision to renovate their campus in a contemporary yet responsible way that would give the school a relevant aesthetic even for generations to come. After creating a nationwide competition looking for a designer, the school chose Lake|Flato Architects, who are more than accomplished with projects of this caliber and nature.

The basic layout of the campus involves a series of interdependent courtyards and structures, connecting the various components of the school with as much emphasis on the exterior function and circulation as the interior. The class rooms are all naturally ventilated and have transparent, operable walls that make relation to the outdoors undeviating; the education itself becomes visible and interactive.

The project’s commitment to vernacular is perceived in its use of traditional tilt wall construction methods and redwood siding. The resultant design is not only economically efficient, but supersedes California’s energy efficiency standards by almost 30%.